Chapter 20

Ava's POV

The sun was setting by the time we all made it back to Vancouver. I knew I made the right choice by deciding not to stay. Caleb grabbed all of our bags out of the car with ease. I am so glad that we went with him, he has been truly nothing but helpful this entire trip. I have the best boss in the world and now my kids have the best uncle.

"Is that everything?" He asked.

"Yea yea, you can just leave it right to the door." I said.

I helped him the best way I could with one arm as he took the bags to the front door. I held Lily in my arms because she popped her slippers playing with Peppa. I watched as Caleb carried Cat's bags to her car which was still in front of my yard. I smiled as they talked quietly, I can see Cat's blush from here. Peppa was picking at some of the flowers in the yard.

"Come on Penelope." I called.

She dropped the plucked flowers quickly and ran over to my side, taking my free hand. I pulled her to the front door and opened it quickly, setting Lily on her feet. Caleb approached us with a small smile on his face.

"See you later girls." He said.

"Bye Cabub." Peppa said.

"See ya Cabub." Lily giggled.

I laughed shaking my head, "Thanks a lot Cabub." I said.

"Bite me." He laughed.

"Seriously though, you have made these few days so much easier. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Sure you could and it's no problem. I'll reach out to you when he reaches out to me." He said.

I nodded, "Thank you."

"Hey, what are uncles for?" He winked, pinching Peppa's nose.

She giggled, swatting his hand away and my heart grew warm. We all said our goodbyes and I closed the door gently. Deciding to unpack later, I left the bags to the door and headed for the kitchen.

"Peppa you have to wash your hands.... Oh!" I jumped shocked as I came face to face with Royce. He was leaning against the fridge silently with a sad smile on his face.

"Oh God, I had no idea you were here. Your truck isn't out front." I said.

"It's at the shop. Steven gave me a ride home." He shrugged.

"Royyy."

"Roy!" The girls came running into the kitchen and hugged Royce's legs. He smiled picking them and hugged them close to him.

"Hi girls, I missed you guys so much. You were good for mommy?"

"Yep." They nodded.

He kissed them gently before setting them on their feet. Lily skipped to the living room but Peppa came to my side.

"Water momma." Peppa said.

"Please?"

"Pweasee." She said showing her little teeth.

Royce got her some water in her sippy cup and she joined Lily in the living room. The kitchen was silent as we stared at each other.

"I uh...I was making dinner." He said.

I looked towards the stove at the pots that sat on it. "I see."

"Yea..."

"That was thoughtful." I said.

He shrugged in response and the room was silent again. I hated it when things get like this, like we were both afraid of breaking the ice. I don't want to say the wrong thing and risk an argument when the girls are so close.

"So....how did your trip go?" He asked.

I'm sure he meant to sound nonchalant but even I can hear the burning curiosity. I pulled my handbag from my shoulder and I pulled out the envelope before handing it to him. Royce took the envelope hesitantly and quickly opened it up, reading what was typed.

"Oh...." He said sullenly.

"Yep, Mason Reynolds is their father." I said.

"You must be so proud." He said, handing me the envelope back.

"Don't." I warned.

He shook his head sadly, "so what did he say?"

"I don't know. I left before he could say anything. I think he needs some time to process what he found out today."

"So....you don't know if he wants to be in their lives?"

"Not yet."

"Will you let him?"

"If he wants to be and he's serious about it then yes."

"That simple huh." He said dryly.

"No, now that it's confirmed, he has every right to be in his daughter’s lives. I don't want a custody battle because you're acting childish Royce. If he wants to be there, I will let him."

"If I'm acting childish it's because you made me this way."

"That isn't fair."

"Isn't it? I mean we could've moved on with our lives not ever having to know. Now everything is going to be different."

"What if it's for the best Royce? You wouldn't have to feel pressured to accept them as your kids."

"I have." He said.

"Have you really?" I asked.

He stared at me silently because he knows that nothing he says will convince me differently. I know that he loves them and wants to be a part of their lives, but I also know that the mistakes of my past stops him from committing fully, and I understand.

"I don't want to fight." He whispered.

"Neither do I."

Royce moved closer to stand in front of me and grabbed my hands into his before kissing them softly.

"I missed you, it's just the idea of losing you..." My heart warmed at his words.

"I missed you too and you won't." I said.

"You don't know that." He mumbled.

I pulled one of my hands away to caress his face. He's right of course. I don't know what the future holds but right now I'm sure about him.

"Dinner is almost ready."

"Okay, I'm going to get the girls cleaned up and we'll be right down." I said.

The rest of the night passed uneventful. We ate our dinners and chatted quietly. I went in more details about what happened between Mason's family and me. I noted the look of relief when he heard that Mason had a girlfriend. Once the girls were breastfeed, I put them to bed quietly. Lily put up a little fight and I knew it was because she liked sleeping with me those two nights, but after a while she gave in and went to bed. I couldn't help the urge to check my phone. I know I wanted to give him time, but I was really eager about how he was feeling. Knowing my mom was probably still at work, I sent her a text letting her know the girls and I were home safe and sound before heading to bed. The next day, it took me longer than usual to drag myself out of bed. I groaned as I sat up slowly trying to rub away the sleep. Royce was packing a small bag and I knew what that meant.

"You're leaving." I said.

Royce looked towards me surprised that I was awake. "It's not for long. Only for three days and I'll be off for the next four." He said.

The downside to Royce being a pilot is that there are times he has to be away from home. Sometimes he can work one shift and be home if he's scheduled to fly in the area, while other times he has to go further. I hated when he had to go further.

"I meant to tell you last night, but it slipped my mind."

"It's okay." I sighed.

"Are you going to be okay? You tossed and turned all night."

"Yea I'll be fine."

"Probably got used to that penthouse." He mumbled.

I glared at the back of his head but chose not to respond. I slowly moved to dangle my feet out of the bed. I glanced at my cell phone disappointed that I didn't see any messages as I made my way to the girls’ room. I peaked into the door slowly and instantly noticed Peppa was standing in her crib. She smiled when her eyes found mines in the dark room. I grabbed her out of her crib lightly and looked at Lily. Although she was still asleep, I knew she'd be waking up shortly. I carried Peppa into the bedroom where Royce just finished packing his bag. Peppa tugged my shirt down to nurse and Royce smiled watching her.

"Are you going to work today?"

"Yes I am. Mom missed the girls, so I'll just drop them there until I get off."

"Alright, that's good. I'm still surprised you guys didn't stay longer."

"Well we do have our lives to get back to. We couldn't just pause everything, especially how I'm preparing to edit my first book." I said.

Royce lifted his brow surprised, "Wow really?"

"Yep. I was able to convince our newest writer to allow us to publish her work. Caleb suggested that it would be best if I edit her book."

"That's great babe. I know how important writing is to you. You're one step closer." He said.

"Are you really proud?" I asked skeptically.

"Always babe. I want you to be successful in the areas that you love." I smiled, but before I could respond I heard Lily's quiet moans. I was about to get up, but Royce shook his head and went to their room. Shortly after, he returned with a half sleeping Lily, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Peppa pulled away from my breast and Royce held out his free hand to her. He bends and picks her up gently before kissing their heads.

"I'm going to miss you girls. I will be back soon." He sighed.

"I'm going to get started on breakfast for them, you can bring them down."

"Okay grab my bag." He said.

We made our way downstairs and Royce set the girls on their feet. I handed him his bag and he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Be safe." I said.

"I will. I love you."

"I love u too." I smiled.

Kissing the girls one more time Royce was out the door. I turned the tv on and the girls moved to lay against Spot. Spot was unbothered by their presence and continued to rest. Once I was sure they were somewhat occupied, I grabbed the bags from the door that I have yet to unpack. As I started to unpack the girls’ bag, Lily's interest peaked when she noticed me pulling out toys. She got up from Spot's side and quickly came over to me.

"Mommy, toy?" She asked.

"You want your toys?" I smiled.

"Yes." She nodded.

I handed over her blocks and favorite ball and she moved back to her position next to Spot. Peppa was still occupied by the tv. I carried the bags upstairs and worked to quickly unpack them. By the time I was done it was only seven am. I was about to head to the kitchen when I heard my cell phone ringing. I grabbed my phone and noticed an unfamiliar number. I was about to answer it when I heard the girls crying and screaming downstairs. I pushed the answer on the phone not wanting to miss the call but ran downstairs to the girls. Like I expected, the girls were fighting over the blocks.

"Hey hey! Stop it." I called out.

Lily was tugging at Peppa's hair while Peppa tried to keep the blocks away from her.

"Lily that is not nice, stop it." I grabbed the girls a part and separated the blocks evenly before giving it to them.

"Share okay? Stop fighting."

They grudgingly took their blocks, sending glares towards each other and I shook my head.

"Do you guys want pancakes?" I asked.

"Pancake." Peppa said while Lily nodded her head agreeing.

Sighing I got off the floor and headed into the kitchen, I remembered then that I had the person on the line.

"Shit. Hello?" I asked.

"Hey...um, did I call you at a busy time?"

My heart did a leap in my chest at the sound of his voice. I was momentarily speechless and for a second it took me a minute to regain control of my body.

"I have two year olds, I'm always busy." I said.

My voice shook a little and I cleared my throat quickly. "Right...I got your number from Caleb last night. I hope you don't mind." Mason said.

"No, not at all." I said.

The phone went silent again and I was desperate to keep my hands moving. I grabbed the ingredients to get started on the pancakes. "I'm surprised you called." I said breaking the awkward silence.

"Why?"

"Well I would assume most people need a few days or even weeks to process that kind of news."

"Well I'm not like most people and this isn't something I can push away and ignore." He said.

"I know." I replied.

The phone went silent for a moment and Mason sighed gently. "I'm really sorry about my family the other day. They were way out of line."

"Well I'm okay now." I said. I don't blame him or Caleb for how they reacted, and I don't want to give them any more attention.

"Listen I don't know how to do any of this, it's kind of a new territory for me."

"Oh? I was under the impression that you went through this a few times." I said.

"It was twice and neither were mines so....."

"Understandable, this is kind of new to me too."

"I didn't expect this, but I can't ignore how I feel." He said.

My heart sped up slightly, "How do you feel?" I asked.

"I feel like I want to meet them." I couldn't control the smile that came over me.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. I couldn't stop thinking about them from the moment I saw their picture. I have this strong urge and I really want to see them, if I can." He said.

"Sure you can. What do you have in mind?" I replied.

"I am literally in my car and on my way there."

I gasped, "Really?"

"I know it's presumptuous, but I couldn't stay home for another minute."

"So you want to meet them today?"

"Yes I do, I have to make a stop but I won't be there until maybe eleven." He said.

I hadn't anticipated that Mason would be so eager to see the girls. I have never seen anyone so forward it took me off guard. He wanted to meet them today, not tomorrow not next week but today.

"If you prefer to reschedule then I will, I'll be staying with Caleb..." He trailed off doubtfully.

"No no, um....I....you took me off guard I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to be so forward." I admitted.

"I just found out I am a father. I'm still waiting for someone to jump out to say I'm being punked. I don't want to procrastinate on this."

I nodded, "Okay, I mean I have work today, I didn't realize you wanted to come today."

"I'm sure Caleb can give his favorite assistant a day off." He said hopefully.

A part of me wanted to tell him to wait until tomorrow, to come up with an excuse to put this off but another part of me wanted to get this over with. I peeped at the girls in the living room playing with their blocks and watching tv. Their father wants to meet them, something I wanted to happen for two years, who am I to get in the way of that?

"Okay."

"Really?" He asked.

"Yea, I'll talk to Caleb and I guess you can meet us in the park." I said.

Before Mason could respond I was distracted by the girls in the other room. "Mommy, help me mommy!" Lily yelled.

I dropped the whisk I was using and ran into the living room quickly. Lily was standing on the side table that we kept in the corner of the room near the bookshelf.

"Lily, what are you doing?" I asked.

I took her off the table and rested her on the floor gently. "Block mommy?" She pointed towards the block that sat on the bookshelf probably from being tossed there. I grabbed the block and handed it to her.

"Stay off of the tables and no more throwing blocks." I said. I pressed the phone to my ear,

"Hello?" At first, I thought he hung up but after listening closely I heard his breathing. "Mason?" I asked.

"Yea sorry. Was...was that them again?" I was confused until I realized he was referring to the girls.

"Oh, yea, sorry Lily was being Indiana Jones again."

He sighed, "Just hearing their voices. Thank you so much for rearranging your schedule for me."

"Of course." I smiled.

We ended the call and I saved his number quickly. I texted the directions to the park we will be on and dialed Caleb's number. "Hey Ava."

"Can you manage without your favorite assistant today?" I asked.

"Ahh, so Mason called." He chuckled.

"He's coming, Caleb. He is on his way here and he wants to meet them."

"I know, he called me last night."

"And?"

"And I think he's serious. He wouldn't be making his way here as we speak if he wasn't."

"I feel so weird." I admitted.

"I can tell."

"I don't know what to expect."

"Just keep what I said in mind. Mason is very straight forward so you guys should be able to have an open conversation. Don't hold anything back and you'll be fine." He said.

"We decided to meet at the park. I think it would be best for them to meet in a more public setting, less pressure."

"Sounds great."

"Are you sure you can manage today?" I asked.

"Of course I can, I'm not feeble. You deserve a day off and you and my brother need to sort through everything." He said.

"Thanks Caleb."

After ending the call with Caleb my mind was in total overdrive. I buzzed around the kitchen making pancakes and scrambled eggs for the girls. I placed them in their highchairs and served breakfast. They immediately started to eat their food, but my stomach was too full of butterflies to eat. I watched them for a moment trying to wrap my head around what's going to happen today.

"Mommy loves you." I said. I reached up to comb my fingers through their curls. The girls smiled towards me but continued munching on their food. "Mommy isn't perfect okay, I made so many mistakes girls, but understand that if there is a small chance of you two having a great life, even the smallest chance, I have to take it. I want you to be surrounded with love, positivity and a stable environment. I may not do the right thing all the time, but mommy will always do right by you." I said.

Although they didn't understand my words, just saying them out loud made me feel better somehow. I always want them to know how much I love them and how much they mean to me. After breakfast, I carried the girls to their rooms so that I could decide what to dress them in. I went through their closet and drawers while they played around the room.

"What kind of outfit do you wear when you're going to meet your father for the first time?" I asked.

I groaned in frustration as I went through their things. I don't know why I'm so nervous, it's just the park for heaven’s sake. After changing my mind four times, I finally decided on their pink short sleeved onesies with jeans shorts. The onesies had one word written on the front, copy and paste. It was so cute, and I was pretty sure it was a gift from Cat. I was about to get the girls ready for a bath when the house phone rang. I ran to the kitchen to retrieve it and answered it quickly.

"Hello?' I said a little winded.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't the girls supposed to come here today?"

I slapped my forehead, "God, I'm sorry mom I forgot."

I looked at the phone and noted that it was nearly ten o'clock already. I have an hour to get out of here and the girls weren't even dressed yet.

"You don't have work today?" She asked.

"I do actually, I called in." I said.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Mason called."

"He did?" She asked, surprised.

"Yea he did mom and he's on his way here now to meet them."

"Oh wow, that's great sweetie! Geez, he surely didn't waste any time."

"I know, so I called in and I told him he will meet us at the park, I was getting the girls ready."

"Okay sweetie, I'll leave you to it then. Call me whenever you're free okay?"

"I will mom." I promised.

"Good luck." She said.

I quickly ran upstairs to start getting the girls ready. Dressing twins is never an easy task, I can't stretch this enough. I have to fight with Lily to take a bath, fight with Peppa to keep her diapers on and fight with them both to keep their shoes on and hairs fixed. Something that was supposed to take twenty minutes to do ends up taking forty-five minutes to get done. The girls were finally dressed in their little outfits, Lily's top said 'copy' and Peppa top was 'paste'. I combed their curls that were now below their ears and strapped on their pink slippers. I carried them to my bedroom, sat them on the bed with their tablets and put on cocomelon. That should hold their attention long enough for me to get dressed. I got dressed in a sleeveless light blue empire top with jeans shorts and blue converse. I brushed my hair and pulled it into a ponytail, it was warm today. I realized that it was 10:30 and quickly grabbed the girls’ things and we headed out the door. I was doing surprisingly well controlling my nerves. If the girls only knew who they were about to meet. I decided not to introduce Mason as daddy, at least not yet. The girls babbled and sang along to cocomelon as I drove, and I found myself singing along. It's annoying that once you hear it, you can't ever block it out. We reached the park with ten minutes to spare, for that I was glad. I took a calming breath before exiting the car. I escorted the girls to our usual bench and set their bags down. Grabbing their toys I guided them towards the sandbox, thankfully it was empty. The girls’ eyes lit up immediately at the sight of their toys and favorite sandbox. Making sure they were comfortable I walked back to the bench and sat watching them. It was already eleven and there wasn't any sign of Mason yet. I decided to use the free time to bring Cat up to speed with what was going on. 'Currently at the park with the girls.' I wrote.

'Really? Don't you have work?' She replied.

'I called in. Mason reached out to me.'

'Shut the hell up.'

'I know right?! I called in to work and told him to meet us in the park.'

'That's great Ava and a lot faster than I thought.'

'Exactly.'

'Fill me in on how it goes okay?'

'Of course.' I answered.

I locked my phone quickly and shoved it in my purse before looking at the girls again. Peppa was playing in the sandbox while Lily was playing with her ball. I was about to tell her to get back in the sandbox, but she stood right next to it, if she moved any further, I'd have to stop her. I gasped suddenly as the bench moved and someone sat next to me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood tall and I didn't need to look to see who it was. When he didn't speak, I chanced a glance at him. Mason wore khaki pants with a grey t-shirt, tennis and a tan cap on his head. My eyes finally landed on his face, nervous at what I'd see there. He was focused on the girls playing, eyes never leaving them, his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed slowly. I didn't know what to say as he continued to watch them, I decided to stay silent, giving him a moment to collect his thoughts. The girls continued to play completely oblivious to what was happening around them. As Lily tossed her ball around, it ended up rolling towards Peppa, hitting against her leg. Peppa got up and handed her sister the ball before moving to sit back down, I smiled.

"They're so perfect." Mason whispered.

"Yes, they are."

I turned to look at him and noticed his eyes were watering. Mason took a shuddering breath and pinch his eyes closed with his fingers before slowly opening them to look at me. Teary green eyes stared at me and for a moment we were both silent.

"I sat in that car on the way here trying to imagine how I'd feel when I saw them."

"And?"

"There are no words." He whispered.

His eyes gravitated towards them again in the sandbox. "Tell me about them." He said.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Anything. Everything."

"Well Lily is the one with the ball and Peppa is in the sandbox. They're wonderful, the same yet so different. They're so smart and sweet, Lily is my little adventurer and Peppa is my little bookworm. I can go on and on but, we'll be here all day."

"I have the time." He said seriously.

His eyes found mine again and we smiled together. "How do you tell them apart?" He asked.

"Lily is a little taller than Peppa, Peppa has a rounder face and tighter curls. Over time though, you'll notice that Lily talks more than Peppa does and is more active." I said.

Mason nodded thoughtfully as he continued to watch them. "How'd you come up with their names?"

"Well, Lillian Amira, Lillian was my grandmother's name, Amira came from my best friend, their Godmother Catherine. Penelope Cruzia, my mother's middle name is Penelope and Cruzia came from my middle name Cruzè." I shrugged.

"Sounds like a mouthful." He smiled.

"Thus, the nicknames Lily and Peppa." He chuckled and I quickly ignored the feeling that sound triggered.

"Is there something wrong with their names?" I asked.

"Not at all, they're beautiful." He assured me.

"Thank you."

"Why did you leave?"

"Oh, I told you I wanted to give you space to come to terms with everything, I didn't realize you would need so little time." I said.

"That's not what I meant," his eyes met mine again.

"Why did you leave me that night?" He asked.

I was rendered speechless by his unexpected question and by the way he looked at me. Caleb wasn't kidding when he said that Mason was straight forward. Questions that I would dance around for days, he asks them with ease.

"Huh." Mason tilted his head to one side waiting for my response. I cleared my throat,

"Um. I was....afraid, embarrassed and ashamed." I admitted.

"Why?"

"I wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't the one nightstand type. I was baffled that I slept with a stranger." I said.

"So did I, but I was willing to get to know you. I mean I never experienced anything like that, and I was going to talk to you, at least treat you to breakfast but by the time I got out you were gone." Mason's eyes never left mine while he spoke, and it made my stomach flutter.

"Really?"

"Well you saw me naked, the least I could've done was take you out." He said.

I blushed, "I had a boyfriend, I mean I have a boyfriend. I was ashamed because my boyfriend Royce was away at flight school and there I was getting drunk and sleeping with someone else." I said.

I looked down as I spoke afraid to meet his eyes. Mason was silent again and turned to look at the girls once more. I wanted to know what he was thinking but I was too afraid to ask.

"So, when we slept together you were in a relationship."

I nodded, "Still am."

"He forgave you?" He asked.

"After a long while we tried to put it behind us." Mason nodded his head slowly before turning to look at me again.

"He's a strong man, most men wouldn't even bother."

"I know and I'm so grateful for him." I said.

"Do they call him dad....like....do they think he's their father?" He asked seriously.

I shook my head, "No, they know him as Roy, he and I both agreed that Dad comes with a lot more responsibility." He nodded his head seemingly satisfied with my answer.

"Good, I don't want them to. I mean I know I haven't earned the daddy title yet, but I want to." He said.

"Really?"

"Yes."

His eyes met mines once again and my body quivered. How can this man get such reactions out of me? "How was your pregnancy?"

I released a deep breath, "There were good days and bad days. I mean there I was pregnant for a stranger and my relationship was hanging on by a thread, I was an emotional wreck. I threw myself into work and saving, preparing for any possible outcomes, praying that Royce didn't want to end our relationship and throw my baby and I out."

Mason looked at me confused. "I didn't realize I was carrying twins until I was in labor." I explained.

He arched a brow shock, "How'd they missed that?"

"Peppa was hiding behind Lily and she was small, I was so afraid. There was a moment she didn't breathe, and I forgot that I was shocked with the idea of two babies. I just wanted my girl to be okay."

I turned to look at them once again as they played. "That must've been scary." He said.

"I have never been so sacred in my life."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I would've, had I known." He said sullenly.

One time ago I would've doubted that but seeing him here and seeing how insistent he was to meet them, I have no doubt that he would've been there.

"I know." I said.

I was distracted by the little feet running towards us on the bench. I heard Mason gasped as Peppa approached us. "Momma, momma." She said.

"Yes baby?"

"Momma juice pwease?" She asked.

"You want some juice? Call Lily over here she needs a drink too."

"Lily?"

"Yes call Lily." I said.

"Lily!" Peppa went running.

I waved my hand towards them beckoning them over. I grabbed two box juices out of their bag as Peppa tugged her sister along. I opened the juice and handed it to them. They sucked down their juices eagerly and I noticed that they were watching Mason cautiously. Mason's eyes were filled with water again as he watched them silently.

"Cabub?" Lily asked pointing towards Mason.

I chuckled, "No baby, that's Mason." I said.

"Mathon." Lily said.

Mason smiled, "Close enough." He whispered.

"Peppa this is mommy's friend Mason. Can you girls tell Mason hi?" I asked.

"Hi." Peppa waved shyly.

"Hi Mathon." Lily said.

"Hello girls, how are you?"

"Fine." They smiled.

"I love your shirts." He said.

"Thank you." Peppa said proudly.

"Thanks." Lily replied, causing me to laugh.

They shoved their empty juice boxes into my lap and ran towards the sandbox again. "God my hands are all clammy." Mason said.

I smiled watching him dry his hands on his pants. It was nice seeing him nervous in the presence of my almost two year olds. "Yea they can bring anyone to their knees."

"And they’re so beautiful, God, my genes were better than I thought." He smirked.

I snorted gently and rolled my eyes. Mason's face went solemn as he stared at me. I can feel the air changed between us as he got serious. "Ava, if you will allow me to, I'd love to be a part of their lives."

"You mean it?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course I do." It was hard to ignore the intensity of his green eyes, but I still had some doubts.

"I don't want my girls’ hearts to get broken, Mason. I know how it feels to sit and wait for someone who won't come back. Don't make them love you and leave Mason, they deserve better."

Mason reached over to grab my hand suddenly and I held back a gasped at the feeling of his big hands holding my small one. "Listen to me, I would've never jumped in my car to come here if I wasn't serious. Yesterday I couldn't get them out of my head and just the thought of them being raised by another man. I won't do that to them. I swear on my life I won't break our daughters’ hearts. I want to get to know them, I want to know what they like, what they don't like, I want to be there on the first day of school, the first time to ride a bike, birthdays, graduation.....I don't want to miss any more of their lives Ava." He vowed.

I hadn't realized that a tear escaped my eyes until I felt it run down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly and closed my eyes, breaking the strong connection. Everything I wanted for my girls, he was ready and willing to be there every step of the way. Just hearing him refer to them as our daughters made it so much more real. I slowly opened my eyes to meet his once again.

"100%?" I asked.

"150." He vowed.